CFP: South-North Exchange “Migratory Currents in the Americas”

The South-North Exchange on Theory, Culture and Law has a call for paper proposals for its upcoming program “Migratory Currents in the Americas Corrientes migratorias en las Américas.”

As the world globalizes in terms of nations’ economies, trade and investment, borders are opened up more easily for “freer” flows of capital, goods and products. But globalization has also meant millions of transnational people; according to the UN’s Population Division, there are now almost 200 million international migrants, doubling the figure recorded in 1980, only 30 years ago. Consequently, migrants are now to be found in every corner of the globe, some of them moving within their own regions and others travelling from one part of the world to another. Today, human migrations have reached higher volumes than ever before in history.

These migration trends present different characteristics from past times, prompting some to herald a “new” era of international migration. One key characteristic of this new era is the reconfiguration of the population movement map globally, created by a growing diversity of routes and connections—between shifting and morphing sites of origin and destination. Immigration therefore has been an increasingly complex and important issue for policy makers, historians, sociologists, jurists and many others. For these reasons, the SNX program centers international migration in the 2011 theme.

The SNX on “Human Migrations Across the Americas” or “Corrientes migratorias en las Américas” will provide an opportunity for legal scholars, social analysts, policymakers, and activists to critically examine migrations from different perspectives. The event will take place in the Dominican Republic, a perfect scenario to discuss this issue: the DR is a place where contemporary currents of migration collide—where Haitian migrants arrive daily in search of a livable life while thousands of Dominicans leave for Puerto Rico, the US or other locations for the very same reason. Exemplifying the complexities of migration in these times, this localized dynamic will provide the backdrop for our exchange.

To participate in the Exchange, please fully complete and timely return this Form by February 15, 2011 with an Abstract (1-3 paragraphs) of your proposed presentation/paper.

The program is sponsored by project of LatCrit (Latina & Latino Critical Legal Theory, Inc.), University of Miami School of Law, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), Escuela de derecho, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Facultad de derecho.